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Thread: Battery Not Recognised

  1. #1
    Join Date
    May 2013
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    Battery Not Recognised

    I have recently fixed a Samsung netbook and have tried installing Ubuntu, Xubuntu and Lubuntu onto it. In all instances the battery is not correctly recognised, in spite of the fact that it's clearly working (maintains power without ac). It's mighty frustrating, as on netbook it's kind of vital for me to know the correct battery status, being as I intend to use it mainly on the move and have a nice extended battery for it.

    I have Ubuntu on my main powerful laptop and have no issues with the battery, and am at a loss to understand what the issue is. On the netbook, the problem has variously manifested itself in lubuntu by showing random indications (one second it shows 7% charged, the next it claims 100%, then 0%), and in Xubuntu and Ubuntu by indicating that there is no battery present at all.

    I have spent two days now reading around on this, and am no closer to fixing it. I did wonder whether a BIOS update would sort it, but that requires Windows as Samsung do not provide BIOS update for the NC10 in any other format.

    Please help! Thanks you.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Germany
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    84
    Distro
    Ubuntu 12.04 Precise Pangolin

    Re: Battery Not Recognised

    Hi,

    i would definitely try a BIOS update first.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    May 2013
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    8

    Re: Battery Not Recognised

    Quote Originally Posted by linrunner View Post
    Hi,

    i would definitely try a BIOS update first.
    Right now that's proving tricky, as I am not having any success installing Windows via usb. Have tried with both XP and then 7, both being a total pain - XP can't get past the second stage of installation because of some missing .dll error, and 7 won't install after the initial screens because of missing drivers (various work-arounds tried and failed) - but I guess that's off-topic for here really. The point is, it looks like I'm stuck with this Bios for the forseeable, and wonder whether there is anything else I can try.

    Thanks for the initial reply, any other ideas?

  4. #4
    Join Date
    May 2013
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    8

    Re: Battery Not Recognised

    Further update - after hours of searching about and no experience in doing such operations, I was successful in flashing the last BIOS version released for the machine, and it has unfortunately made no difference at all (other than probably taking a few minutes off my life expectancy when watching the machine turn itself off at the end of the process - it took me a couple of seconds to find out this was in fact to be expected).

    I have to say that the issue seems pretty widespread, with loads of people reporting such problems, and yet there is virtually nothing out there suggesting any solution. For something as basic and necessary as this, it seems surprising that a fix doesn't appear to be being aggressively pursued. It's a fundamental piece of hardware!

    Interrogating ACPI shows the battery is detected (battery present) but percentages are all 0%, so absolutely no idea how much juice is there. The icon on the panel says 0% too, and conky shows empty status. Grrr.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Germany
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    Distro
    Ubuntu 12.04 Precise Pangolin

    Re: Battery Not Recognised

    When ACPI reports zero for all values, something goes wrong between ACPI BIOS and the kernel. Hence my suggestion to update the BIOS (always a bit thrilling ...).

    Which version of Ubuntu do you use? You tried different flavours, but (i suspect) all from the same version with the same kernel?
    Last edited by linrunner; May 26th, 2013 at 10:33 AM.

  6. #6
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    May 2013
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    Re: Battery Not Recognised

    Am currently using Xubuntu, as mentioned earlier I have tried Ubuntu, Lubuntu and Xubuntu, so yes - all the same kernel. Any suggestions for a nice, light, netbook-suitable distro with a different kernel?

  7. #7
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    May 2013
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    Re: Battery Not Recognised

    Come on folks, surely someone has a clue for something as fundamental as the latop battery not being recognised?? This is driving me to distraction. I tried rolling back the kernel to an earlier version, which initially *appeared* to work - but lo and behold, once rebooted it's right back to its old tricks, 0% all the way.

    This is just mad, there must be a solution! Seriously grateful for any help that anyone can offer.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Germany
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    Distro
    Ubuntu 12.04 Precise Pangolin

    Re: Battery Not Recognised

    You still didn't answer my question about the Ubuntu version: 12.04, 12.10, 13.04, ...?

  9. #9
    Join Date
    May 2013
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    8

    Re: Battery Not Recognised

    Ah sorry, I thought you meant which distro - apologies for not reading more closely. Have tried Ubuntu 12.04, Lubuntu 13.04, currently using Xubuntu 13.04. Thanks for bearing with me - although I've dabbled in the past, I'm really quite a noob at this.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Germany
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    84
    Distro
    Ubuntu 12.04 Precise Pangolin

    Re: Battery Not Recognised

    I would give Xubuntu (or Ubuntu) 12.04.1 a last try – .1 because it still uses the "old" 3.2 kernel.

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